Garden Growth

Gardopia Gardens celebrates community gardens with gala and contest

Photo by Jessica Giesey

When the Southwest Workers Union turned an empty plot on the city’s East Side into the Roots of Change Urban Garden 10 years ago, it was one of the few community gardens in San Antonio. Since then, thanks in large part to organizations like Green Spaces Alliance and the newer Gardopia Gardens, dozens of community gardens have been planted around town at libraries, community centers, churches, parks and businesses. The vegetables and herbs grown at each not only provide crops to the residents who help tend them, but also create a community classroom where novices can learn the basics of raising veggies and plants. Gardopia Gardens is recognizing those efforts with its inaugural Vegetable Garden Competition, which includes community entries like the Roots of Change Urban Garden, plus school and residential gardens. The gardens with the highest yield per square foot will be announced as winners at the June 24 Garden Gala. gardopiagardens.org

Photo: Brian Gordon, a coordinator for the Roots of Change Urban Garden, harvests vegetables during one of the East Side garden’s Thursday community work days. Volunteers plant, weed and harvest in the garden each first Saturday, 1-4 p.m., and every Thursday, 3-6 p.m.